For those who have been paying attention to American politics over the past two decades, it has become even more apparent that progressives are on a crusade to take over every major institution by injecting their backward ideology wherever they can. Much of the focus has been on education, entertainment, the media, and even the military.
But there is another institution that progressives are currently working to infiltrate that hasn’t gotten as much attention: the church.
So-called progressive churches espousing far-leftist ideology appear to be on the rise and they are actively working to con believers into the notion that the Bible supports their ideas on gender identity, sexuality, and other subjects.
My colleague Alex Parker recently published a piece describing how a Bible professor claimed that the scripture supports left-wing ideas on gender identity.
University of Dayton Professor Esther Brownsmith isn't happy with her state legislature's as-of-late athletic moves. In case you're unaware, the Republican Senate overrode Governor Mike DeWine's veto Wednesday and banned those with XY chromosomes from women's sports. Esther considers it cruel and is speaking out.
The professor has penned her thoughts for readers of the Dayton Daily News. A scriptural scholar, she insists 1921-born sexologist John Money's revolutionary notion of "gender identity" is blatantly in the Bible.
You may have heard of the Broadway hit "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." As it turns out, Joseph was transgender:
Joseph, we are told, wore an “amazing technicolor dreamcoat.” But it wasn’t just any coat; it was, according to 2 Samuel 13:18, the kind of clothing that young princesses used to wear. This is just one of the ways that the Bible indicates that the “shapely and beautiful” Joseph (Genesis 39:6) crossed gender boundaries, and he was not the only one...
Is scripture filled with sorts of individuals who remained in the margins for multiple millennia and then appeared en masse in the modern West? Meet more ancient gender-ideology-affirming icons:
Deborah led an army, Mordecai breastfed his cousin Esther, and Daniel was probably a eunuch.
Anyone with even a modicum of biblical knowledge knows that these claims are blatantly false.
For starters, Joseph’s colorful coat has nothing to do with transgenderism. The professor’s interpretation of Joseph as some sort of cross-dressing princess represents a deceptive misreading of the biblical text. The Hebrew words used to describe his garment say nothing about him embracing a female gender identity. Rather, they emphasize the favoritism his father showed toward Joseph and the family dynamics that ensued as a result. The Bible makes no mention of Joseph or anyone else “transitioning” to the opposite gender.
As for Esther, the notion that the Bible claims her cousin Mordecai breastfed her is laughable. It has no basis in the actual scriptural text. It is nothing more than an attempt on the part of Brownsmith to force the Bible to conform to progressive orthodoxy. She not only distorts the meaning of these biblical figures but also seeks to turn the Bible into a canvas onto which any ideology can be painted. She is certainly not the only person to do so; there are plenty of “progressive churches” who are preaching similar false doctrines.
This brings us to a crucial point: the role of church leaders in addressing these efforts to pervert the Bible.
Over the past few years, I have noticed a distinct reticence on the part of pastors and other church leaders to publicly call out these blasphemies. There is a growing tendency to try to pervert the Bible under the guise of promoting inclusivity. Yet, the church seems largely silent on the issue – and I can’t quite figure out why.
This isn’t to say there are no Christian leaders speaking out. I discussed several of these issues on my podcast with Pastor Jack Hibbs of Calvary Chapel Chino Hills, who is known for being a strong Christian voice on the culture.
But I fear there are not enough leaders who are willing to speak out against these dangerous teachings. The best way to counter bad doctrine is by preaching good doctrine, even if it means taking some slings and arrows. Pastors need to be more concerned about speaking the truth in love than making sure they are still getting their tithes from their members.
As stewards of the faith, church leaders have a responsibility to guide their congregation with solid biblical teaching instead of being swayed or cowed into silence by prevailing cultural trends. If they continue to keep silent on these matters, this perversion of biblical teaching will only spread further, and countless numbers of Christians will be led astray.
